Bag loading mechanisms and machines



July 11, 1967 R. E. SCHORER 3,330,093

BAG LOADING MECHANISMS AND MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 27, 1964July 11, 1967 R. E. SCHORER BAG LOADING MECHANISMS AND MACHINES 5Sheets-Sheet S Filed Feb. 27, 1964 y 11, 1967 R. E. SCHORER BAG LOADINGMECHANISMS AND MACHINES 3 SheetsSheet 5 Filed Feb. 27. 1964 UnitedStates Patent 3,330,093 BAG LOADING MECHANISMS AND MACHINES Roy E.Schorer, Westwood, Mass., assignor to The Carter William Company,Needham Heights, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Feb. 27,1964, Ser. No. 347,924 2 Claims. (Cl. 53-189) This invention relates tobag loading machines and more particularly to a bag opening mechanismwhich is so reliable and of such uniformly rapid operation as, Whencombined with automatic article feeding and withdrawing mechanism, toprovide a continuous automatic machine for loading preformed openendedbags even when made of highly flexible membranaceous sheet material suchas polyethylene or similar smooth films.

Because of the extremely smooth nature of polyethylene and similar filmmaterials, the two contacting internal surfaces of a flattened empty bagmade from such materials are not readily separated at the mouth end whenit is desired to load the bag with merchandise. Static electricity oftentends to enhance the tendency for the opposing walls to stick togetherat the mouth edges unless prodded apart as a result of the persistencythat can accompany human manipulation to ruffle the edges and therebypermit ingress of air or other mouth-expanding means.

As a result, loading of such bags has generally heretofore been done byhand so that the operator can regulate the intervals between advance ofthe articles to be inserted into the bags according to how long it takeseach individual bag to attain an expanded mouth position. For example,in one system the empty bags are presented to and held one-by-one infront of an air stream, but oftentimes it is necessary for the operatorto rumple the mouth of the bag or Wait for a considerable period of timefor the air stream to separate the mouth edges of a bag so presented tothe air stream. With an operator always present and manipulating theadvance of the articles by hand, one can be assured that no attempt willbe made to insert the article into the bag until the mouth is expandedto a satisfactory extent to receive the merchandise. All attempts,however, to mechanize the article feed in such devices have beenfailures due to the fact that even when the operation is slowed down togive each bag a large amount of time in which to open, complete failuresof many of the bags to open satisfactorily have always occurred,rendering the machine inefficient and uneconomical in the absence of acontrolling operator.

It is thus an object of the invention to provide bag opening means whichis completely reliable and so fast that automated rapid delivery ofmerchandise at a constant rate has become feasible without encounteringmisloadings or other interruptions caused by misoperation.

With such bag opening mechanism a machine may include structure operableto deliver merchandise at a constant continuous rapid rate to a bagloading station and remove the loaded bags from the loading station atthe same constant rate.

To this end, while an air blast is relied upon for initial opening ofthe bag mouth, the apparatus herein so disposes a stack of bags that anunderlying bag mouth can start to expand before the overlying bag hasbeen fully removed from the stack and usually has portions of its mouthedges in separated relation even before the overlying bag starts to beremoved from the top of the stack. By this means the time intervalduring which the air is effectively operating to start separation of themouth edges of each bag can be made even longer than the cycle of themerchandise feed. The sooner closed mouth edges which are not completelyrestrained against initial separation are exposed to a flowing airstream, the sooner the chance exists of their separating. Hence, inoperation of the present machine, there is much greater chance that themouth edges of every bag will be expanded before the deadline in thecycle is reached, when it must be expanded to prevent misoperation. Amuch greater safety factor is thus provided by exposing the mouth edgesof a lot of bags in the stack to the air stream all together instead ofone-by-one as in prior art devices.

In any event, in the embodiment of the apparatus shown in the drawings,polyethylene bags of a conventional construction have been successfullyloaded in commercial operations at a rate of 60 per minute without anyfailures, and over a time period of several hours with less than .1%failures due to non-opening of a bag. This performance is extremelygratifying when viewed from the standpoint that previous commercial handloading rarely approached 30 per minute for any extended period of time.

A typical machine embodying the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the machine;

FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the loading station contained withinthe machine;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional View taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of certain parts at the loading station intheir positions at a given point in the machine cycle;

FIG. 7 is an isometric View, similar to that of FIG. 6, showing certainof the parts at the loading station at a later stage of the machinecycle; and

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

As shown in FIG. 1, articles of merchandise M are fed into the machinesuccessively, being pushed along a stationary bed 16 which has a pair ofspaced parallel slots 17 and 18 to accommodate pusher fingers 20 carriedby an endless conveyor 22. The machine is presently being utilized topackage knit garments which are folded about a cardboard insert to givea degree of rigidity desirable for best appearance of these garmentswhen packaged.

The machine frame 24 also carries an overhead endless conveyor 26 havingpairs of pusher fingers 28 spaced therealong, the spacing of the fingers28 being so related to the spacing of the fingers 20 on the conveyor 22that the successive pairs of pusher fingers 28 pass downwardly into theslots 17 and 18 behind the fingers 20 as the latter reach the inner endof their upper traverse, so that, as the fingers 20 move downwardlyaround their inner pulleys to their return traverse, the pusher fingers28 on the overhead conveyor pick up each article M and push it towards aloading station. For this purpose the two conveyors are driven insynchronism from a common motor 3% through appropriate chains andsprockets.

As an article M proceeds toward the loading station, it passes beneath acompressor bar 32 which extends downwardly between the paths of thefingers 28 and presses down the center of each package so thatsuccessive packages will not exceed a maximum height.

The loading station is indicated generally at 40. It includes anelevating platform 42 adapted to carry a vertical stack of empty,collapsed polyethylene or similar bags 44-. The platform is mounted on apedestal 46 which extends downwardly through a bearing 48 and is urgedcontinuously upwardly as by a weight 50 connected by a cord 51 runningover pulleys 52 and 53 to the pedestal 46.

The bags are clamped on the platform 42, and its up ward movement islimited by an anchoring means in the form of a shoe 54 (best shown inFIG. 6) whichrests on top of the inner end of the vertical bag stackthrough the interposition of a small roller 55 journaled betweentrunnions 56 having vertical slots carrying a pin which loosely connectsthe shoe 54 to the frame of the machine thrngh a pair of rigid arms 57,as shown in F165. 3 an Pivoted on the frame just ahead of the loadingstation 40 are a pair of gate-like horns 60 and 61 which swing aboutvertical axes from a closed transverse position ahead of the loadingstation into opened parallel position extending into and holding open anopen bag mouth, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, by the actuation of separatefluid motors 62 and 63, respectively, in timed relation to 'the passageof the articles M, as will be hereinafter de scribed.

Beyond the loading station a chute 65 (FIG. 1) is positioned to receivethe loaded bags as they pass beyond the loading station in a manner tobe described.

The opening of each bag at its mouth end facing the approaching articleM to permit insertion of the horns is accomplished initially by acontinuous blast of air directed through nozzle 66 of an air blower 67positioned beneath the bed 16 and driven by motor 67a. The particularmachine embodiment shown in the draw-- ings is intended to operate withthe use of polyethylene bags of the wicket type. These are conventionalcommercial bags which are folded or heat-sealed on three sides, leavingan open mouth on the fourth side, but one of the opposing Walls 68 (FIG.6) is longer than the other wall 69 forming a lip 70 provided with apair of holes 71 so that a stack of the bags may be readily handled byimpaling them on two rods such as 73 and 74, the two rods being normallyconnected at their tops by a crosspiece 75 (FIG. 4) wherefrom the namewicket is derived. Preferably, the bags have longitudinal perforations71a extending from the holes 71 to the edge of lip 70.

'The shoe 54, previously described, is thus so dimensioned and sopositioned that, when a stack of the wicketed bags is placed on theelevating platform 42, the bottom ends of the wicket legs 73 and 74 passthrough apertures 76 in the platform 42, as shown in FIG. 4, and thecross upper leg 75 of the wicket is caught over a pair of spring catches77 to hold it up, straddling but out 'of the Way of the shoe 54. Thewicket therefore functions, as well as the shoe 54, as means forrestraining the bags at the loading station during advance of eacharticle M a through the bag mouth.

It will also be noted that the supporting surface of the elevatingplatform 42 preferably slopes upwardly beneath the shoe 54, as shown inFIG. 4, and is narrower, as shown in FIG. 5, than the width of the bags.This configuration helps to keep the lip 70 below the level of theremainder of the top bag and compensates for any increased bulk at theside-sealed edges of the stacked bags and prevents middle sag in thestack by allowing the side edges to drape shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8.

Air propelled by the blower through the nozzle 66 thus impinges againstthe entire front wall of the stack not covered by shoe 54 which retainsthe lip 70 of the topmost bag, but not the inwardly offset mouth edge 78of the upper wall 69 of the top bag, so that the air inflates the topbag so that its upper wall assumes more or less the configuration shownin FIG. 6, after which the horns 60 and 61 are pivoted into the openedmouth to gently stretch and hold it fully open mechanically andsurrounding the path of the advancing articles M.

When the leading edge of an inserted article M engages the closedopposite end of the top bag held in the stack, after being pushed intothe bag by the pusher fingers 28, the continued motion of the pusherfingers will tear the topmost bag from the wicket legs 73 and 74, asshown in FIG. 7, and move it out from beneath shoe 54 and ,laterallyover the platform 42, as

roller 55. The topmost bag will then be carried off the stack. As soonas it is free of the stack, it drops by gravity into the chute 65 (FIG.1), falling off thepusher V derlying bags, particularly because they arefree to flutter at their side portions. When the uppermost bag isstraightened widthwise by the horns 60 and 61, the air gets in betweenthe upper and lower walls of the underlying bag and starts to open it,except as restrained by the bottom wall of the overlying bag.

However, as soon as the fingers 28 have cleared the horns 6t and 61, thehorns are retracted, and as soon as the top bag clears the inner mouthedge of the next underlying bag, the air almost instantly inflates theunderlying bag to the position shown in FIG. 6 ready to receive thehorns and the next oncoming article M.

The motion of the horns 60 and 61 is so timed with respect to theadvance of the fingers 28 that they will swing into the top bag justprior to or as they are contacted by the advancing article ofmerchandise M and will be retracted as soon as they can clear theadvancing fingers 28. This actuation is accomplished by a pair ofswitches 80 and 81 (FIG. 2) actuated by pins 82 carried by the uppersprocket 83, a mechanical operation which need not be further described.7

It is to be understood that the loaded bags may progress to a mouthsealing machine which can and usually does sever off the marginalportions of both walls beyond the original mouth edges, so that theunsightly torn lip 70 is not retained in the final package.

What is claimed is: V

1. An automatic bag loading machine having means for successivelyadvancing a series of articles of merchandise along a plane, duringwhich advance the articles pass through a loading station whereat theyare inserted into open-ended bags opened-mouth configuration facing andsurrounding the path of advance of said articles and thereafter carrythe successive bags in which they are inserted out of and beyond theloading station, the improvements which comprise, in combination,an'elevating platform for urging a stack of collapsed bags between aninwardly offset edge of one wall and the opposing longer wall laid onsaid platform with their mouths facing the advancing articles and theirinwardly offset edges uppermost, said platform being of less width thanthe width of said bags in said stack, anchoring means for said bag stackengaging the'center portion of the longer wall only of the top bag inthe stack to limit the upward movement of said platform and maintain thetop bag in the stack at a level adjacent to the plane of articleadvance, said anchoring means being of less width than the width of thebags, and an air nozzle facing the mouth side of said stack of bags fordirecting air continuously blown through said nozzle towards a pluralityof the uppermost bags in said stack simultaneously to lift theunrestrained inwardly offset edge of, and inflate, the top bag mouthinto a configuration surrounding the path of directing a stream of airblown through said nozzle, 21.

magazine for supporting collapsed open-ended flexible which aresuccessively positioned in.

having unsealed mouths, formed 5 film bags in a vertical stack withtheir open ends disposed in the path of an air stream emanating fromsaid nozzle, said magazine including an elevating platform of less widththan the width of said bags whereby the side areas of said bags sag overthe side edges of said platform, means urging said platform upwardly,and central a11- choring means between said nozzle and said stackextending over the top surface of a central marginal portion of thebottom wall of the top bag in said stack, to clamp the bag stack on saidplatform and limit upward motion of said bags, said anchoring meansbeing of less width than said bags, and portions of the bag mouth edges,on both lateral sides of said central anchoring means, of a plurality ofthe bags near the top of said stack being simultaneously in the path ofsaid air stream and separating vertically beyond the side edges of saidplatform while they are still beneath the top bag in said stack, saidseparated lateral side portions defining internal inflated air channelsbeyond the edges of said platform for insuring reliable inflation of thenext underlying bag when the top bag is removed from said stack.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, PrimaryExaminer. FRANK E. BAILEY, Examiner. N. ABRAMS, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN AUTOMATIC BAG LOADING MACHINE HAVING MEANS FOR SUCCESSIVELYADVANCING A SERIES OF ARTICLES OF MERCHANDISE ALONG A PLANE, DURINGWHICH ADVANCE THE ARTICLES PASS THROUGH A LOADING STATION WHEREAT THEYARE INSERTED INTO OPEN-ENDED BAGS WHICH ARE SUCCESSIVELY POSITIONED INOPENED-MOUTH CONFIGURATION FACING AND SURROUNDING THE PATH OF ADVANCE OFSAID ARTICLES AND THEREAFTER CARRY THE SUCCESSIVE BAGS IN WHICH THEY AREINSERTED OUT OF AND BEYOND THE LOADING STATION, THE IMPROVEMENTS WHICHCOMPRISE, IN COMBINATION, AN ELEVATING PLATFORM FOR URGING A STACK OFCOLLAPSED BAGS HAVING UNSEALED MOUTHS, FORMED BETWEEN AN INWARDLY OFFSETEDGE OF ONE WALL AND THE OPPOSING LONGER WALL LAID ON SAID PLATFORM WITHTHEIR MOUTHS FACING THE ADVANCING ARTICLES AND THEIR INWARDLY OFFSETEDGES UPPERMOST, SAID PLATFORM BEING OF LESS WIDTH THAN THE WIDTH OFSAID BAGS IN SAID STACK, ANCHORING MEANS FOR SAID BAG STACK ENGAGING THECENTER PORTION OF THE LONGER WALL ONLY OF THE TOP BAG IN THE STACK TOLIMIT THE UPWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID PLATFORM AND MAINTAIN THE TOP BAG INTHE STACK AT A LEVEL ADJACENT TO THE PLANE OF ARTICLE ADVANCE, SAIDANCHORING MEANS BEING OF LESS WIDTH THAN THE WIDTH OF THE BAGS, AND ANAIR NOZZLE FACING THE MOUTH SIDE OF SAID STACK OF BAGS FOR DIRECTING AIRCONTINUOUSLY BLOWN THROUGH SAID NOZZLE TOWARDS A PLURALITY OF THEUPPERMOST BAGS IN SAID STACK SIMULTANEOUSLY TO LIFT THE UNRESTRAINEDINWARDLY OFFSET EDGE OF, AND INFLATE, THE TOP BAG MOUTH INTO ACONFIGURATION SURROUNDING THE PATH OF SAID ARTICLES AND SEPARATING MOUTHEDGE PORTIONS OF THE UNDERLYING BAGS IN SIDE AREAS BEYOND THE SIDE EDGESOF SAID PLATFORM, TO DEFINE INFLATED SIDE AIR CHANNELS IN UNDERLYINGBAGS FOR INSURING RELIABLE INFLATION OF THE IMMEDIATELY UNDERLYING BAGAS IT IS PROGRESSIVELY EXPOSED AS AN ARTICLE CARRIES A TOP BAG OFF SAIDSTACK, DISENGAGING THE TOP BAG FROM SAID ANCHORING MEANS ANDPROGRESSIVELY EXPOSING THE TOP OF SAID IMMEDIATELY UNDERLYING BAG.